Ariana Quijano

English Portfolio

Ariana Quijano

English Portfolio

6 Word Memoir

I am a really weird person.

Ideals of Freedom

The freedoms that I, including every citizen of America has, are listed in the Constitution. For example, we all have freedom of speech, religion, the right to assemble, the right to bear arms, and a lot more. While we all have more freedom than most countries do, there are limits. If we go over that limit or cross it, we get into trouble.

For example, it is said in the First Amendment that the citizens of this country have a freedom of speech. While 70% of the time, people are allowed to say whatever they’d like, if what you say purposefully destroys someone else’s reputation, then you’re in big trouble. I am grateful for how much freedom we do have. Even though we may get heavily criticized for our opinions and what we think, it’s great to see how relieved others feel when they express themselves. It’s not easy to keep quite about certain things. Sometimes you just need to say how you feel, and to not keep everything bottled up inside.

So as you can tell, my favorite freedom that citizens of America have is the freedom of speech. This particular freedom seems to be one very well known and one that has been indirectly associated with pieces of literature. I think the reason why is because the words we use and the way we say them can make a difference, little or big. I also think that our opinions and our words are one of the things that differentiate us from one another.

But unfortunately, some countries barely have any freedom at all. While our freedom exists within limits, there is at least some balance of freedom within our country. Countries like Cuba, Syria, and Uzbekistan don’t get to experience the freedom we have. With countries that censor their citizens like that, then individuality probably doesn’t exist.

Are We Heading Towards a Dystopian Society?

I don’t exactly believe we’re heading towards a dystopian society. What I mean by that is I think we’ve always been living in one of some sort. But the restrictions in our society are not as severe as one that is in a dystopian society. Everyone is encouraged to be themselves and say whatever they feel. We’re curious people and we want to take in the world around us. There is no such thing as the “outside world”. There are people whose goal is to travel around the world, because they yearn to experience something different. In a dystopian society, everyone is required to be the same. If anyone even dares expressing their own thoughts, they are cruelly punished. Also people are more aware of the fact that we do not live in a perfect world. The only thing I see happening in the future is that it’ll probably stay the same. Yes, I admit that there has and always will be propaganda being distributed and the government will still be withholding information that we’re not aware of. That’s the way it has been in every country, regardless of what type of government they have. One thing that’ll most definitely happen in the future is that our technology will keep getting more advanced. I also don’t believe we’ll head towards a dystopian society. We already have so many freedoms, and whether you believe it or not, we’re come far. It wouldn’t make sense for all of that progress to just be thrown away. Trying to reverse the changes we’ve made in the past is just a waste. With the Internet and people becoming more socially aware, our society is continuing to evolve. There’s more people who are willing to put themselves out there and make a change. I don’t think our society is going to change for the worst. In fact, I think we’re heading to a society that is better and one that’ll continue to do just that.

Author Study on George Orwell

Born Eric Arthur Blair in Motihari, Bengal, India, in 1903, George Orwell, novelist, essayist, and critic, went on to become best know for his novels Animal Farm and 1984. George Orwell was a man of strong opinions and someone who addressed some of the major political movements of his times, including imperialism, fascism, and communism. The son of a British civil servant, George Orwell spent his first days in India, where his father was stationed. His mother brought him and his older sister, Marjorie, to England about a year after his birth and settled in Henley-on-Thames. His father stayed behind in India and rarely visited. Orwell’s younger sister, Avril, was born in 1908. Orwell didn’t really know his father until he retired from the service in 1912. Even after that, the pair never formed a strong relationship. Orwell started to become interested in writing when he was very young. He apparently composed his first poem at the age of four. One of his first literary successes came at the age of 11 when he had a poem published in the local newspaper. Like many other boys in England, Orwell was sent to boarding school. In 1911 he went to St. Cyprian's in the coastal town of Eastbourne. On a partial scholarship, Orwell noticed that the school treated the richer students better than the poorer ones. He wasn't popular with people, and in books he found comfort from his difficult situation. What he lacked in personality, he made up for in smarts. Later down the road, Orwell won scholarships to Wellington College and Eton College to continue his studies. After completing his schooling at Eton, Orwell found himself at a dead end. His family did not have the money to pay for a university education. Instead he joined the India Imperial Police Force in 1922. After five years in Burma, Orwell resigned his post and returned to England. It was then that Orwell was set onto becoming a writer. After leaving the India Imperial Force, Orwell struggled to get his writing career started. His first major work, Down and Out in Paris and London, (1933) explored his time living in these two cities. Orwell took all sorts of jobs to make ends meet, including being a dishwasher. The book provided a brutal look at the lives of the working poor and of those living a temporary existence. Not wishing to embarrass his family, the author published the book under the pseudonym George Orwell. Orwell next explored his overseas experiences in Burmese Days, published in 1934. The novel offered a dark look at British colonialism in Burma, then part of the country's Indian empire. Orwell's interest in political matters grew rapidly after this novel was published. Also around this time, he met Eileen O'Shaughnessy. The pair married in June 1936 until her death in 1945. In 1944 the couple adopted a son, whom they named Richard Horatio Blair. Their son was largely raised by Orwell's sister Avril after Eileen's death. Eileen supported and assisted Orwell in his career. In December 1936, Orwell traveled to Spain, where he joined one of the groups fighting against General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War. Orwell was badly injured during his time with a militia, getting shot in the throat and arm. For several weeks, he was unable to speak. Orwell and his wife, Eileen, were indicted on treason charges in Spain. Fortunately, the charges were brought after the couple had left the country. A plethora of health problems continued to plague the talented writer not long after his return to England. For years, Orwell had periods of sickness, and he was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1938. He spent several months at the Preston Hall Sanatorium trying to recover, but he would continue to battle with tuberculosis for the rest of his life. At the time he was initially diagnosed, there was no effective treatment for the disease. To support himself, Orwell took on all sorts of writing work. He wrote numerous essays and reviews over the years, developing a reputation for producing well-crafted literary criticism. In 1941, Orwell landed a job with the BBC as a producer. He developed news commentary and shows for audiences in the eastern part of the British Empire. Orwell appealed to such literary greats as T. S. Eliot and E. M. Forster to appear on his programs. With World War II raging on, Orwell found himself acting as a propagandist to advance the country's side. He hated this part of his job and resigned in 1943. Around this time, Orwell became the literary editor for a socialist newspaper. Orwell is best known for two novels, Animal Farm and 1984. Animal Farm (1945) was an anti-Soviet satire in a pastoral setting featuring two pigs as its main protagonists. These pigs were said to represent Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. The novel brought Orwell great acclaim and financial rewards. In 1949, Orwell published another popular novel 1984. This bleak vision of the world divided into three oppressive nations created controversy among reviewers, who found this fictional future too gloomy. In the novel, Orwell gave readers a glimpse into what would happen if the government controlled every detail of a person's life, down to their own private thoughts. Both Animal Farm and 1984 have been turned into films and have enjoyed tremendous popularity over the years. 1984 proved to be another huge success for the author, but he did not have a lot of time to enjoy it. By this time, Orwell was in the late stages of his battle with tuberculosis. Near the end of his life, Orwell proposed to editor Sonia Brownell. He married her in October 1949. He died on January 21, 1950, in a London hospital. Brownell inherited Orwell's estate and made a career out of managing his legacy.

10 Rules for My Dystopian Society

1. No physical altercations can occur.

2. No one is allowed to petition the government.

3. The distribution of books is forbidden.

4. All citizens must wear a tracking device on their wrists.

5. No citizen can stay out after 9:00 P. M.

6. All citizens 18 or older are required to have a job.

7. No one is allowed to write or share their thoughts about our society, regardless of what your opinion is.

8. Citizens must bow down whenever you see a government official.

9. All males and females must wear a button-down white shirt, jeans, and black shoes (altering your uniform in any way is prohibited).

10. If a citizen catches anyone disobeying any of these rules, they should be reported immediately.